Cultivating Food For Thought

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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The other day, I stopped by a local Chipotle restaurant for my favorite fast food tofu burrito. I was happy to find that they had a full set of the Mexican food chain’s new Cultivating Thought packaging. The second installment of the series once again offers original art work and “two-minute” stories and essays. Designed to entertain eaters while exposing them to thought provoking writing, the new set has contributions by Neil Gaiman, Amy Tan, Julia Alverez, Carlos Ruiz Zafrón, Barbara Kingsolver, Augsten Burroughs, Paulo Coelho, Jeffrey Eugenides, Walter Isaacson, and comic Aziz Ansari.

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You Know It When You’ve Earned It

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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A book is an object fixed in time

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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Over at the Design Observer, librarian/curator/writer Timothy Young offers a damn good list of ten reasons why the printed book still matters. Here’s a stripped down version (see below) of the list. If you’re inclined, check out the fully unexpurgated version of the well developed reasons right about here.

  1. It is a piece of technology that lasts
  2. It needs very little, if any, extra technology to be accessed
  3. The book retains evidence
  4. Books are true to form
  5. Each copy of a book is potentially unique
  6. Printed items are consumable goods
  7. A book is an object fixed in time
  8. A book can be an object of beauty and human craftsmanship
  9. When you are reading a book in a public place, other people can see what you are reading
  10. The Internet will never contain every book

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Posted in Books, History, Libraries, Writing | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

We are all in paradise, but refuse to see it

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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New York City-based illustrator Evan Robertson creates splendid black and white posters featuring moving quotes from notable authors such as Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Samuel Beckett, Anais Nin, Thomas Wolfe, Jules Verne and Kurt Vonnegut. You can see more of these terrific pieces and even buy your own copies right here.

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London is Changing

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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The public art project London is Changing has been exposing some uncomfortable truths about Britain’s great city. While we visitors and tourists wander about enjoying our time in London, residents are trying to cope with a city that has become increasingly unaffordable for locals, especially young people and creative.

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Created by Rebecca Ross and Duarte Carrilho de Graça, the project collects personal views on the ever morphing city at a website and shares the messages on digital billboards in Holborn and Aldgate. Most of the quotes are downright depressing, but some still celebrate London’s magic. You see them all at the website London is Changing.

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Posted in Art, Europe, Tech, Tourism | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Guaranteed to see the Aurora Borealis

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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I just booked tickets for a summer trip to Iceland with no expectations of catching a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, but Icelandair is now guaranteeing that at least some of its passengers will see nature’s light show. They recently launched an Aurora Borealis-themed jet as part of a campaign to get more passengers from North America and Europe to spent at least a week in Iceland on a stop-over. The Hekla Aurora recreates Iceland’s mindblowing northern lights throughout the Boeing 757’s cabin using a LED lighting system. While the exterior sports a matching theme.

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Animal Farm is still banned in Cuba

Posted on February 24, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

It seems that as long as there have been books governments have been banning them. This infographic from printerinks.co.uk takes the long view on book banning throughout history.

via http://www.printerinks.com

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It’s a plot

Posted on February 23, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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Rommel Drives Deep Into Egypt

Posted on February 22, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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Drawing Paris

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Brian D. Butler

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Last month, the brilliant British artist/mapmaker Jenni Sparks released a brand new hand-drawn map of Paris. Sparks, who is known for her fabulous maps of London, new York City, San Francisco and Berlin, spends months pounding the pavement, visiting landmarks and interviewing locals to gather information and create her painstakingly detailed maps. Prints of the Paris map can be purchased here

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